Explosive boiling in light hydrocarbons and their mixtures

Renner, T.A.; Kucera, G.H.; Blander, M.

doi:10.1016/0021-9797(75)90215-5

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Critical temperatures are in degrees Kelvin (IPTS68) and were obtained from Porteous (1975) and Kudchadker et al Butane and propane were the only compounds in Table 2 which had been studied previously (Renner e t al., 1974;Eberhart et al, 1975). Our results for propane are consistent with those of Renner et al (1974). Results for butane were 1.3"C lower than reported by Eberhart e t al.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 90%

“…If the mass flux equations can be solved to give the spatial and temporal variations in concentration of superheated mixtures, one may deduce the spatial and temporal variations of the limits of superheat. Similar near linear behavior for mixtures has been observed for a few hydrocarbon mixtures (Blander et a]., 1971;Eberhart et al, 1975;Renner et al, 1974;Skripov, 1974;Skripov and Kukushkin, 1961).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Binary mixtures of n-pentane with n-hexane, cyclohexane, n-octane, n-dodecane, and n-hexadecane have been studied (Skripov, 1974;Eberhart et al, 1975;Renner et al, 1974;Blander et al, 1971). Propane-n-butane mixtures (Renner et al, 1974) and n-heptane-n-hexane mixtures (Skripov and Kukushkin, 1961) have also been investigated. In all cases, the limit of superheat was fairly close to a mole fraction average of the limits of the pure components.…”

Section: Conclusion a N D Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both ap aratus were constructed of Pyrex. For fluids whose normal foiling point was below and limit of superheat above room temperature, an apparatus similar to that described by Renner et al ( 1974) was used. The pot was immersed in a cold slush bath and the column was wound with nichrome heating wire.…”

Section: Conclusion a N D Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Limits of superheat and explosive boiling of light hydrocarbons, halocarbons, and hydrocarbon mixtures

Porteous

Blander

1975

AIChE Journal

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The limits of superheat of thirteen light hydrocarbons and four light halocarbons were experimentally measured at one atmosphere using a superheating column. While there was some variation in the number of degrees to which a compound could be superheated before boiling explosively, in all cases the reduced limits T L / T , were close to 0.88. The measured superheat limits of three binary hydrocarbon systems and several ternary mixtures were close to mole fraction averages of the limits of the pure components. The results of both pure components and mixtures paralleled predictions of Beegle (1973), based on thermodynamic stability theory. Limits of pure components agreed closely with limits predicted from homogeneous nucleation theory. WILLIAM PORTEOUS SCOPEStudies have shown that when no gas phase is present and nucleation sources are removed, liquids held at one atmosphere can be heated to temperatures considerably above their normal boiling point. Studies have also shown that there is an upper temperature limit to which liquids can be heated without vaporization. At this temperature, referred to as the limit of superheat, homogeneous nucleation takes place with an extremely rapid liquid-to-gas phase transformation.While earlier investigations in this area were done primarily out of scientific curiosity, it now appears that superheat phenomena have practical importance. It has been hypothesized that superheating is the initiating cause of liquid natural gas (LNG) vapor explosions. These are nonchemical flameless explosions that sometimes occur when LNG is spilled on a warmer liquid.In order to determine whether superheating is the cause of LNG vapor explosions, it is necessary to measure the limits of superheat of hydrocarbons and their mixtures. Previous investigators had found that the limit of superheat for a pure component occurred in a narrow temperature range close to 89% of the critical temperature. Only limited data were available for mixtures and only one study had been done on molecules with three or less carbons. This study was undertaken to determine experimentally the limit of superheat of light halocarbons and hydrocarbons and their mixtures. The technique used to measure the limit involved a superheating column in which droplets of a volatile material rise in a denser immiscible medium. This medium is hotter at the top than at the bottom. The droplets increase in temperature as they rise until they nucleate and boil explosively. The temperature at which they nucleate is referred to as the limit of superheat.Thirteen light hydrocarbons, Cz's to Cd's, and four halogenated hydrocarbons were tested. Three binary systems and several ternary mixtures were also studied. These systems included mixtures of ethane, propane, 2-methylpropane, and n-butane. CONCLUSIONS A N D SIGNIFICANCEThe compounds studied could be superheated 84O to 117OC above their boiling points at atmospheric pressure, although the reduced temperature limits T J T , of the hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbon3 varied over the narro...

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Conclusion a N D Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conclusion a N D Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Limits of superheat and explosive boiling of light hydrocarbons, halocarbons, and hydrocarbon mixtures

Porteous

Blander

1975

AIChE Journal

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“…In the present work, droplets of pure n-octane were heated in a field liquid of glycerine. The normal paraffin/glycerine combination satisfies the above requirements and has been found by others [6,7,15,16] to yield reproducible measurements of the limits of superheat of the n-alkanes over a wide range of pressures. The n-octane was obtained from Humphrey Chemical Co. with a stated purity of 99 percent.…”

Section: Selection Of Liquidsmentioning

confidence: 66%

Effect of Pressure on Bubble Growth Within Liquid Droplets at the Superheat Limit

Avedisian

1982

Journal of Heat Transfer

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A study of high-pressure bubble growth within liquid droplets heated to their limits of superheat is reported. Droplets of an organic liquid (n-octane) were heated in an immiscible nonvolatile field liquid (glycerine) until they began to boil. High-speed cine photography was used for recording the qualitative aspects of boiling intensity and for obtaining some basic bubble growth data which have not been previously reported. The intensity of droplet boiling was found to be strongly dependent on ambient pressure. At atmospheric pressure the droplets boiled in a comparatively violent manner. At higher pressures photographic evidence revealed a two-phase droplet configuration consisting of an expanding vapor bubble beneath which was suspended a pool of the vaporizing liquid. A qualitative theory for growth of the two-phase droplet was based on assuming that heat for vaporizing the volatile liquid was transferred across a thin thermal boundary layer surrounding the vapor bubble. Measured droplet radii were found to be in relatively good agreement with predicted radii.

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